Local nursing homes join push to change visitor restrictions

Rochester, N.Y. – The fight for expanded visitation at nursing homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic is entering a new phase. Local nursing homes are adding their voices.

For the first time, a group of five area nursing homes is calling for changes in New York’s visitor restrictions.

Through windows and technology, families have fought to stay connected to loved ones unable to leave nursing homes. But the separation comes with a price. The people who run St. John’s, Friendly Senior Living, Episcopal Senior Life, St. Ann’s and Jewish Senior Life also feel the urgency and see the impact of family separation every day.

“It puts them at a higher risk of cognitive decline,” said Nate Sweeney of St. John’s Nursing Home. “It puts them at higher risk for all the pieces that come with depression.”

The nursing homes are asking the state to reconsider the rule requiring facilities to be go 28 days without a COVID case before it can allow in-person visits. Sweeney says it’s a barrier without a reasonable explanation.

The nursing homes believe they can keep people safe without a window between them.

“COVID is absolutely a risk,” said Sweeney. “No nursing home is advocating for anything to happen in an unsafe manner. But what we are saying is there has to be a way to get people connected back to their loved ones in a more meaningful way.”

The alliance of local nursing homes is also asking the state to allow one family member who is COVID-tested to be allowed to visit. They'd also like to see local regions determine if nursing visits are appropriate, much like they've been allowed to do for other reopenings.